Terms & Conditions
Dr Aimee Blackledge | Historical Fiction Consultant
Last updated: March 2026
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1. Introduction
These Terms & Conditions govern all consulting services provided by Dr Aimee Blackledge (“I”, “me”, “my”) to clients (“you”, “your”) through this website and by direct agreement. By purchasing or enquiring about any of my services, you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms.
I want working together to be straightforward and enjoyable. These terms exist to protect both of us and to make sure we both know exactly where we stand from the outset.
2. My Services
I offer four core consulting services for historical fiction writers:
Manuscript Vibe Check
A written assessment of the first 30,000 words of your manuscript, covering historical atmosphere, consistency, and anachronisms. Delivered within 4 weeks of receipt of your manuscript.
Consultations
Single 60-minute Zoom sessions or a 3-hour retainer block, providing on-call historical research support for specific questions and world-building. Retainer blocks have no expiry date.
Manuscript Authenticity Report
A comprehensive written report on your complete manuscript’s historical plausibility (up to 100,000 words). Delivered within 5–6 weeks of receipt of your manuscript and full payment of the deposit.
Full Manuscript Annotations
Line-by-line annotation of your complete manuscript via Track Changes in Word, with a summary report and Zoom debrief. Delivered within 7–8 weeks of receipt of your manuscript and full payment of the deposit.
All services are delivered online. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights under UK consumer law.
Following up: I want you to feel completely confident moving forward with your revisions. After returning a written report or annotated manuscript, I am happy to answer brief clarifying questions about your report or annotations via email for up to 14 days. If you find you need more in-depth discussion, fresh historical research, or brainstorming, we can happily book a Consultation session to dive deeper.
3. Enquiries & Booking
All projects begin with a brief email conversation. Once we’ve agreed on the right service for your manuscript and timeline, I’ll confirm the details in writing.
For the Manuscript Vibe Check, Authenticity Report, and Full Annotations, your booking is confirmed when I have received your completed enquiry form, your 50% deposit, and issued a written confirmation by email.
For Consultations, your booking is confirmed when payment has been received in full and a session date has been agreed.
I reserve the right to decline any project at my discretion, in which case any payment received will be refunded in full.
4. Fees & Payment
Manuscript Vibe Check: £295 flat rate, payable in full at the time of booking.
Consultations: £120 per single session, payable in full at the time of booking. 3-hour retainer block: £225, payable in full at the time of booking.
Manuscript Authenticity Report: £0.007 per word (up to 100,000 words). A 50% deposit is required to secure your slot. The remaining balance is invoiced on completion, prior to delivery of your report.
Full Manuscript Annotations: £0.01 per word (up to 100,000 words). A 50% deposit is required to secure your slot. The remaining balance is invoiced on completion, prior to delivery of your annotated manuscript.
All fees quoted on my website are estimates for standard word counts. Final pricing is confirmed at the point of enquiry. Manuscripts exceeding 100,000 words are quoted on request.
Payments are processed securely via Squarespace’s payment processor, which accepts all major debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna. All fees are quoted in pounds sterling (£) and are inclusive of any applicable taxes.
Late payments: For services requiring a final balance, your completed report or annotated manuscript will be delivered to you once the final invoice is settled. Final invoices are due within 14 days. If payment is not received, I will securely hold onto your completed work. After 30 days, I reserve the right to apply late payment interest at the statutory rate. If you are facing unexpected financial difficulties, please just reach out to me — I am human, and we can usually figure it out together.
Klarna payments: Please note that Klarna’s Pay in 3 / Pay in 30 days are unregulated credit agreements. Borrowing more than you can afford or paying late may negatively impact your financial status and ability to obtain credit. 18+, UK residents only. Subject to status. Ts&Cs and late fees apply.
5. Deposits & Refunds
The 50% deposit required for Manuscript Authenticity Reports and Full Manuscript Annotations represents a genuine commitment from both of us — it secures your place in my schedule and covers the preparatory work I undertake before your manuscript arrives.
Your right to cancel: Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2014, you have the right to cancel within 14 days of purchase. However, if you would like work to begin within that 14-day window, I will ask you to confirm in writing that you waive this cancellation right in respect of services already commenced. This confirmation will be requested at the point of booking.
Cancellation before work begins: If you cancel before I have begun work on your manuscript and outside the 14-day cooling-off period, your deposit will be retained to cover the time I have spent scheduling and preparing. The remaining balance will not be charged.
Cancellation after work has begun: If you cancel after I have begun work on your manuscript, the deposit is non-refundable. Depending on the stage of completion, a proportion of the remaining balance may also be charged to reflect the work already undertaken.
Refunds for the Vibe Check and Consultations: These services are paid in full at the time of booking. If you cancel a Consultation with less than 48 hours’ notice, no refund will be issued. If you cancel with more than 48 hours’ notice, a full refund will be offered. For the Vibe Check, if you cancel before I have begun reading your manuscript, a full refund will be offered. Once reading has commenced, the fee is non-refundable.
I consider all cancellation and refund requests individually and with empathy. Unexpected things happen — please get in touch as soon as possible and we’ll find the best way forward.
Nothing in this section affects your statutory rights.
6. Cancellation & Rescheduling
Manuscript services: Please give at least 14 days’ written notice if you need to cancel or significantly delay your project. Notification should be sent to info@aimeeblackledge.com.
Consultations: Please give at least 48 hours’ notice to reschedule a single session. Rescheduling can be arranged by emailing info@aimeeblackledge.com. Retainer block sessions can be rescheduled freely — simply email me to arrange a new time.
If I need to cancel or reschedule a session for any reason, I will notify you as soon as possible and offer either a rescheduled date or a full refund of any fees paid.
7. Your Manuscript, Confidentiality & Data Protection
I treat every manuscript I receive as strictly confidential. I will not share, discuss, or refer to your work with any third party without your explicit written permission.
Files are shared and stored securely via Proton Drive, which uses end-to-end encryption. Your manuscript will be deleted from my files once you have received your completed assessment and attended your debrief session.
I will never submit your manuscript or any portion of it to AI software, language models, or any website that uses AI to process or assess content. All reading, research, and assessment is carried out personally by me.
If you would like to arrange a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to commissioning a service, please contact me at info@aimeeblackledge.com and I will make the appropriate arrangements.
Data Protection: I take your privacy just as seriously as your intellectual property. Any personal information you share with me — such as your name, email address, and the contents of your manuscript — will be kept secure and processed strictly in accordance with UK GDPR. For full details on how I collect, store, and protect your data, please read my Privacy Policy at www.aimeeblackledge.com/policies.
8. Intellectual Property
The written assessments, reports, and annotations I produce are provided for your personal use in revising your manuscript. You may not reproduce, distribute, or share my reports or annotations with third parties, or use them for any commercial purpose, without my prior written consent.
Your manuscript remains your intellectual property at all times. Nothing in these terms transfers any ownership of your work to me.
9. Scope of Services
My services focus exclusively on historical accuracy, material culture, and the sensory and social world of the Early Modern period (1500–1800) in Europe. I do not provide plot editing, prose editing, character development advice, or genealogy research services.
If your manuscript falls outside my stated specialism, I will let you know at the enquiry stage before any payment is taken.
10. Turnaround Times, File Formats & Client Delays
Turnaround times stated on my website are estimates based on standard manuscript lengths and my current schedule. They are confirmed in writing at the point of booking. I will always notify you promptly if circumstances arise that affect your agreed timeline.
Turnaround times begin from the date I receive your complete manuscript in a suitable format, not from the date of payment or booking.
File formats: Please submit your manuscript as a .doc or .docx file. I cannot accept PDFs or Apple Pages documents for assessment or annotation.
Client delays: I map out my schedule carefully to ensure every manuscript gets my full, unhurried attention. If you are unable to send your manuscript by our agreed start date, please let me know in writing as soon as possible. Depending on the length of the delay, I may need to move your project to my next available slot or treat it as a cancellation.
11. Expedited Services
Rush turnarounds may be available depending on my current schedule. Please enquire before booking. Additional fees may apply for expedited services and will be confirmed in writing before work begins.
12. Limitation of Liability
I bring scholarly precision and a novelist’s instinct to every manuscript I read — but I cannot guarantee that my assessment will identify every historical inaccuracy or anachronism, nor that implementing my suggestions will result in publication or any particular commercial outcome.
My total liability to you in connection with any service shall not exceed the total fees paid by you for that service.
Nothing in these terms limits my liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other matter that cannot be excluded by law.
13. Complaints
If you are unhappy with any aspect of my service, please contact me at info@aimeeblackledge.com in the first instance. I take all concerns seriously and will do my best to find a fair resolution.
This does not affect your statutory rights.
14. General Terms
Unexpected interruptions: Life happens. I will not be held liable for any delay or failure to deliver services caused by extreme circumstances genuinely beyond my control — such as sudden severe illness, family emergencies, or prolonged technical failure beyond my reasonable control. If this happens, I will notify you immediately and we will find a fair solution, whether that is a revised timeline or a refund.
Severability: If any part of these Terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable by a court, the rest of the terms will remain fully valid and in effect.
Entire agreement: These terms, along with your written booking confirmation, make up the entire agreement between us. They replace any previous casual conversations, emails, or messages regarding your project.
15. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these terms or from the services I provide will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
16. Changes to These Terms
I may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time. The version in force at the time of your booking will apply to your project. The current version will always be available on my website.
17. Contact
If you have any questions about these terms, please get in touch:
• Email: info@aimeeblackledge.com
• Website: www.aimeeblackledge.com
• Address: Suite 121008, PO Box 6945, London, W1A 6US
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